The use of social network sites to reduce the number of drop-outs in the first year of ES4

of drop-outs in the first year of ES4

Wietske Stevens

20052772

ES4CM

Supervisor: Mrs Nieuweboer

Date: 16 June 2010

The Hague School of European Studies

The Hague University of Professional Education

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

One of the key elements of the vision of The Hague University is its international character; the students should feel themselves as global citizens. European Studies (ES) is one of the most important international-orientated study programmes within The Hague University which educates students to become global citizens. Unfortunately, every year a number of students ends their studies at the ES department. This could have financial consequences and could damage the image of The Hague University. In order to find a solution to this problem, one has to understand the reasons why students drop out. In this report the target group is the prospective ES4 student.

According to the new communication plan of The Hague University a new communication tool will be implemented: social network sites (SNS). However, this tool will mainly be used for the recruitment of students. Because of this, the possibilities of this tool will be researched in order to find out if this tool can also help to reduce the number of drop-outs in the first year of ES4. The reason the focus lies on the first year students is because of the fact that approximately 78 percent of the drop-outs end their studies during or after the first year. In the course year 2008/2009 19 percent of the first year ES4 students dropped out.

The use of SNS is a mega trend as well as a social trend. It is a new two-way communication tool and has changed the way one communicates nowadays. It can make it easier for organizations to reach their target group and it allows the target group to give feedback to the organization. Students are the main users of SNS. SNS can be used for social purposes (such as contacting friends) and marketing purposes (such as online advertising).

According to the findings of this research, the reasons students have for dropping out are diverse. The two most common given reasons by the first year ES4 drop-outs are the feeling that they have chosen the wrong study programme and that the programme is too broad. Considering these reasons, it can be concluded that these students had a different perception of the programme. Thus their expectations were not met. There are two explanations for their misperception:

1. The students were not informed correctly about the programme.

2. Students did not orientate well before applying for the study programme.

group is the website of The Hague University. Second most common used tool is the open day. Furthermore, trial courses are the most influential tool but it is not popular among ES4 drop-outs: only nine percent has participated in a trial course. However, approximately one-third of the first year ES4 students has participated. This could mean that participating in a trial course could result in a better understanding of the study programme. Therefore, this tool has to become more popular.

To find out the opinion of the target group on SNS as a tool for college consideration, a survey was conducted among this group at the ES department in The Hague University. The result of this survey was that the majority of the surveyed students were active on a SNS and that Hyves is the most popular website. Another important outcome is that almost all surveyed prospective ES4 students (92%) would like to be informed by a study programme through SNS.

Combining all facts together, the following two objectives for this research were formulated: 1. To use SNS to make sure the correct information is available and will be found and used by prospective ES4 students.

2. To use SNS to make sure more prospective students will participate in trial courses.

As the use of SNS is a mega trend it means that it will last for at least 10 more years. Therefore, it is recommended that the ES department organizes projects and workshops for ES4 students to make sure they learn how to use SNS efficiently. One of the possibilities is to set up a project for ES4 students to create a page on Hyves for prospective ES4 students. Moreover, The Hague University could advertise on Hyves, for example to promote trial courses.

Little research was done over the last five years on ES4 drop-outs. In order to find a solution to this problem, it is recommended to do more research to the motivation of ES4 students for dropping out. When there is clear and recent data available on the motivation of these drop-outs, an appropriate solution can be found. Another research that will be interesting for ES4 and The Hague University to conduct is finding out if the information sent to prospective ES4 students on the study programme is indeed incorrect as first year ES4 students have indicated.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface...VI

1. Introduction to the research...1

1.1 Introduction...1

1.2 Problem statement...2

1.3 Central question and sub-questions...2

1.4 Target groups...3

1.5 Definitions of concepts...4

1.6 Research justification...5

1.6.1. Aspects that possibly have influenced the results of this research...5

1.6.2. Measurements to avoid threats of reliability...5

1.7 Report structure...6

2. Social network sites...7

2.1 Introduction...7 2.2 Characteristics...7 2.2.1. Trend pyramid...7 2.2.2. Environmental influences...8 2.2.3. SNS users...9 2.3 Possibilities...9 2.3.1. Personal use...10 2.3.2. Marketing purposes...10

2.5 Future...13 2.6 Conclusion...13

3. ES4 drop-outs...14

4. Communication activities...19

4.3 Use of communication activities by ES4 students...20

4.3.1. Use by first year ES4 students...20

4.3.2. Use by ES4 drop-outs...21

4.4 Conclusion...21

5. Prospective ES4 students and SNS...22

5.1 Introduction...22

5.2 Use of SNS by prospective ES4 students...22

5.3 American research: ‘‘Social network sites and college-bound students’’...23

5.4 Conclusion...24

Conclusion...25

Recommendations...27

References...31

List of appendices...1

Preface

This report was written as my dissertation for European Studies at The Hague University. For my dissertation I have done research on ES4 drop-outs and social network sites (SNS). The objective of this research was to make recommendations for European Studies and The Hague University on how SNS can be used to reduce the number of first year ES4 drop-outs.

Before creating a research proposal for my dissertation, I already knew that it must have had

something to do with SNS. It is a subject that interests me for a long time and that is one of the reasons I made an essay about it for CrossCultural Trends, a course given by Ms Hernandez. Because of this essay, I already knew a lot about this subject before I started on this project.

The interview with Ms Krepa (Department of Marketing Communication, The Hague University) has helped me to decide the target group for this report. Therefore, I would like to thank Ms Krepa for her time and advice.

During this project, I had to collect confidential information on ES4 drop-outs. As this was not an easy process, I would like to thank the people who have helped me: Mrs Weitenberg, Ms Staats and Mr Brijer. With their help I have accomplished what I wanted: a report that can benefit European Studies and The Hague University.

Furthermore, I would like to thank Mrs Nieuweboer for her dedication and guidance during this project. By reading and evaluating the chapters during the research she has helped me to keep improving myself and my work.

Finally, I would like to thank my friends, especially Lisette Janssen, for supporting and helping me during this process.

Chapter 1: Introduction to the research

1.1 Introduction

Every year, an average of 19 percent of first year ES4 students ends their studies. (R. Brijer, 2010) It is important for the European Studies (ES) department and The Hague University to understand why these students drop out as it could not only have financial consequences but could also damage the image. When these reasons are clarified, one can research the possibilities to find a solution to reduce the number of drop-outs.

As stated in the new communication plan of The Hague University, implemented by the Department of Marketing Communication for the next three years, social media is the new tool that will be used to reach the target group: prospective students for The Hague University. However, this tool will be mainly used for the recruitment of students. (K.Krepa, 2010)Therefore, it is interesting to research the possibilities of this tool to decrease the number of first year ES4 drop-outs. The reason the focus lies on the first year students of this study programme is because of the fact that approximately 78 percent of the drop-outs end their studies during or after the first year. In the course year 2008/2009 19 percent of the first year ES4 students dropped out.

The reason why ES is chosen for this research is because of the significance of this study programme. ES is an important part of the academy of European Studies & Communication Management which is the largest (internationally focused) academy within The Hague University. (De Haagse Hogeschool, Feiten en cijfers, 2010) One of the key elements in the vision of the university is the international character; their students are educated to become global citizens. (De Haagse Hogeschool, Over De Haagse Hogeschool, 2010) When knowing this, it can be said that ES, an international orientated study programme for Dutch students and international students from all over the world, is one of the most important programmes that communicates the international character of the university. Because of this, this report will focus on the ES programme.

ES consists of two studies: ES3 and ES4. An important difference between these two programmes is that ES4 mainly contains Dutch students and ES3 mainly international students. For the context of this report, the choice had to be made whether to focus on ES3 or ES4 as both Dutch and international students have to be approached differently. (K. Krepa, 2010) This report will focus on ES4 because based on the preliminary research the Department of Marketing Communication of The Hague University has put the main focus on ES3, thus international students. The explanation given by the

Netherlands is a relatively small country thus most Dutch students do not move to The Hague but travel back and forth between their home and the university. (K. Krepa, 2010) This has also to do with the fact that ES4 is not only available in The Hague but also in Maastricht and Leeuwarden.

However, the international character of The Hague University is only important regarding the choice to do research on ES4 but not for the rest of this report.

This chapter contains everything that is significant for this research. The problem statement will be explained as well as the questions that needed to be answered for this research. To make sure one understands the terms that will be used in this report, a list of definitions is composed. Finally, the research justification and the structure of the report will be explained.

1.2 Problem statement

As stated in chapter 1.1, an average of 19 percent of first year ES4 students drops out. This can have financial consequences and could damage the image for both European Studies and The Hague University. In order to find a solution to this problem, research has to be done to the motivation of these students. However, the last research done by The Hague University regarding this problem was five years ago. Because of this, more research has to be done for this report and solutions could be found in the new communication trend: SNS.

The objective of this research is to make recommendations on how ES4 can reduce the number of drop-outs in their first year by the use of SNS.

1.3 Central question and sub-questions

 How can social network sites help to reduce the number of drop-outs in the first year of ES4?

This question is not affirmative. This means there could be other solutions apart from SNS to reduce the percentage of drop-outs in the first year of ES4. However, preliminary research was convincing enough to focus on SNS as a possible tool to reduce the problem. This tool has been chosen because it is a new communication tool with many possibilities that can benefit organizations such as The Hague University (see chapter 3.3).

Sub-questions and research methods

 What are the possibilities of social network sites? This information was collected through desk-research.

 What is the percentage of drop-outs in 2008/2009?

Ms Staats (management assistant – ES4) owns this confidential information and was willing to share this in order to contribute to this research.

 What is their reason for dropping out?

Three sources were used to find the answer to this question. First of all, until 2009 when students ended their studies at ES4, they were obliged to see Mr Brijer (student counsellor – service education- and student matters) for a final interview: the so-called ‘‘exit-interview’’. As Mr Brijer conducts these interviews he owns information on the reasons students have for dropping out. An interview was held with him to discuss this issue.

Second, The Hague University studies the situation of its students with ‘’De Startmonitor’’. This is a survey sent to all first year students at the academy of European Studies & Communication Management in order to gauge the level of satisfaction. The findings of this research will be used for this report as it can refer to possible reasons first year ES4 students have for dropping out. (J. Weitenberg, 2010) Mrs Weitenberg gave access to this information.

Finally, another research that was used for this report is ‘‘Stakers- en

switchersonderzoek’’ as this is the only research done at The Hague University (in 2005) that literally indicates the reasons why students have dropped out.

 How many prospective ES4 students are active on social network sites?

 Which social network site could be most effective on reaching prospective ES4 students?

 Do prospective ES4 students want to be informed through social network sites? On 6 February 2010, during the open day in The Hague University, a survey was conducted among prospective ES4 students on this subject. The three sub-questions above are answered through the outcome of this survey. Furthermore, information was

1.4 Target groups

During the research, different target groups were approached. In order to make sure one understands these target groups, the following definitions are important:

 Prospective ES4 students

A prospective ES4 student is a student who considers applying for this study programme. This target group is most important for this research. One needs to concentrate on the future activities that need to be implemented to reduce the threat of new students dropping out.

 First year ES4 students

ES is the abbreviation for ‘‘European Studies’’ and was previously known as HEBO (Hogere Europese Beroepen Opleiding). This international orientated study

programme focuses on law, politics, culture, communication and economics on an European level. (The Hague University, European Studies, 2010) As a prospective ES student, there are two ways of following this study programme: ES4 and ES3. ES4 is the Dutch version of the study with a four-year programme. Some of the courses are taught in Dutch and mainly all students are Dutch. ES3 is the English version of the study with a three-year programme. All courses are taught in English as ES3 has a large number of international students: most students are from foreign countries but there are also Dutch students participating in this programme. In this case, Dutch students who are studying ES3 need at least a VWO diploma (secondary education) whereas ES4 allows Dutch students with a HAVO diploma (higher general secondary education). (The Hague University, Entrance requirements European studies, 2010) This is an important target group as most ES4 students drop out in their first year.

 ES4 drop-outs

Drop-outs are students who end their study programme premature, thus without getting a degree. In order to understand the reason for dropping out, this target group was important to this research.

1.5 Definitions of concepts

In this report the following terms will be used: 1. Social network sites (SNS):

debate, and network. Regardless of the language, culture, or the nation where the social network site originates, all of them share the same feature of helping people connect with others who have similar interests.’’ (Cyber Safety Glossary, social networking sites, 2010)

2. Stakers- en switchersonderzoek

Stakers- en switchersonderzoek is a report based on a research conducted among the 47 ES4 drop-outs in 2004/2005. It contains information on the reasons and explanations the drop-outs gave for ending their studies that year. Although it can be said that this report is rather outdated, fact is that this report is still very often used by The Hague University and ES department as this is the only report that literally indicates the reasons ES4 students have dropped out. (J. Weitenberg, 2010)

3. De Startmonitor

De Startmonitor is a research based on a survey that is held three times a year (September, December and June). De Startmonitor shows the level of satisfaction based on the experience of first year students of the academy European Studies & Communication Management, who decided to continue their study. This means that the outcome is not representing first year ES4 students but all first year students of the academy European Studies & Communication Management. However, the outcome is useful to get a general idea of what first year students of the academy are less satisfied about. The reasons given in De Startmonitor could also apply to ES4 drop-outs. In this report, De Startmonitor of 2009 will be used in which 558 students have participated.

4. De Reflector

De Reflector is a research based on a survey that is held once a year among all students from a particular study programme. The findings of this survey show the level of satisfaction among these students. In this report, De Reflector 2009 will be used in which 4,662 students participated, 1,367 were first year students.

1.6 Research justification

1.6.1 Aspects that possibly have influenced the results of this research

In chapter 4.3 the findings of an American research on social network sites and college-bound students are used. It has to be taken into account that this research was based on the American lifestyle and therefore not necessarily representing the Dutch students. However, the arguments in this research could explain the behaviour of Dutch students and was therefore worth mentioning.

It has to be emphasized that the reasons ES4 students drop out according to Mr Brijer, described in chapter 2, are given by the ES4 drop-outs themselves. Therefore, it is possible that The Hague

there are no specific percentages on how many students agreed with a certain argument. Therefore, it is possible that only a few students agreed with a particular argument. To make it more clear, the five most common given arguments of ES4 drop-outs during the exit-interviews with Mr Brijer are set in an order of quantity; 1 is the most common given reason and 5 is the less common given reason. The open day was organized on 6 February 2010. This was in an early stage of the research. Because of the limited time and little knowledge of the subject in this early stage, some questions of the survey conducted during this open day could have been better formulated or even new questions could have been added.

1.6.2 Measurements to avoid the threats of reliability

The facts in chapter 4.2 are based on a survey. This survey was filled out by 107 prospective ES4 students. By distributing the survey at the ES4 booth at an open day of The Hague University, it was assured that only prospective ES4 students filled out the survey.

1.7 Report structure

This chapter included all important aspects related to the research and the reasons for conducting this research. The second chapter will explain the users, possibilities and the expected development of SNS. Thirdly, all facts on the ES4 drop-outs and their reason for ending their studies at ES4 will be explained. Once the reasons of these drop-outs are clear, chapter four will give an overview of the communication activities of ES4. Chapter five will state the use of SNS by prospective ES4 students. In the sixth chapter all important findings of chapter one until four will be summarized as a conclusion and the following question will be answered: Can social network sites help to reduce the number of drop-outs? Finally, recommendations will be given to The Hague University and ES.

Chapter 2: Social network sites

2.1 Introduction

As stated in the list of definitions (chapter 1.4) a social network site is ‘‘a place on the internet where people socialize, network and share the same interests, regardless of the language, culture or nation’’. (Cyber Safety Glossary, social networking sites, 2010) It is a new tool for two-way communication. In this chapter, the following sub question will be answered:

 What are the possibilities of social network sites?

This chapter explains the characteristics, possibilities and predictions for the future of this new communication tool.

2.2 Characteristics

‘‘Social network sites provide simple, inexpensive ways to organize members, arrange meetings, spread information, and gauge opinion. As more systems emerge, there will be greater capacity for groups to organize and participate in collective action, a hallmark of civil society.’’ (N. Ellison, C. Lampe & C. Steinfield, 2009)

2.2.1. Trend pyramid

When one understands what type of trend SNS is, the future developments can be predicted. To find out what kind of trend it is, a so-called trend pyramid is used. The trend pyramid has four levels as indicated in figure 1. (Student guide CrossCultural Trends, 2009) SNS manifests itself in all four levels of the trend pyramid. However, the important levels regarding this report are the midi-, maxi- and mega-level.

On midi-level, which is the branche level, the question that needs to be answered is ‘‘What is new on the market?’’. (Student guide CrossCultural Trends, 2009) A good example of this is that more and more organizations are using SNS for marketing purposes. By using this communication tool, they reach more people within less time. (V. Dholakia, 2010)

Looking at the maxi-level, this trend also manifests itself as a consumer-trend. The most important reason is because the consumer was involved in the emerge of the trend. The central question is ‘‘How do consumers behave?’’ One looks at the desires and needs of the consumers and creates a new

concept which fulfils these needs and desires.

When looking at the mega-level, this trend can be seen as a social trend because it affects society. In graph 1, one can see the number of visitors joining SNS has increased more over the past years. Also, the number of time one spends on SNS is increasing. The important question

concerning this type of trend is ‘‘In what kind of world do we live?’’. This question needs to be answered in order to know if

SNS is indeed a social trend. (Student guide CrossCultural Trends, 2009) An answer to this question Maxi (consumer) Mega (social) Midi (branch) Micro (products)

Graph 1: Global Web Traffic to Social Networking Sites (The Nielsen Company, 2009)

Figure 1: Trend pyramid

(Student guide CrossCultural Trends, 2009)

could be that our social activities more often take place online and we can find information on someone without asking it face-to-face. (N. Ellison, C. Lampe & C. Steinfield, 2009)

However, when looking at these two different levels the trend SNS manifests itself in, it can be said that this trend is ‘‘originally’’ a mega trend. The main reason is that society plays an important role in the development of the trend as more and more people are using it for different purposes. SNS makes it possible to communicate on another level because it lowers the barriers that may occur when communicating face-to-face. A research done by Michigan State University shows that people feel more comfortable to contact ‘‘old friends’’ they have not spoken to in years through SNS than in ‘‘real life’’. (N. Ellison, C. Lampe & C. Steinfield, 2009) Not only on an individual level but also on a community level the impact of SNS is feasible. More and more organizations use SNS to reach their target group. It seems SNS brings together different kinds of people with the same interests. (N. Ellison, C. Lampe & C. Steinfield, 2009)

2.2.2. Environmental influences

The most important environmental factors that influence the development of SNS are social developments and technological developments.

Social developments

As graph 1 shows, more and more people become a member of SNS. This means that social activities take more place on Internet. Face-to-face communication can have certain barriers because people are more aware of what kind of message they transfer. SNS makes it easier to contact certain groups of people than it is in ‘‘real life’’ because it helps to take away those barriers. ‘‘With minimal effort and the thinnest of information, a profile can be located and a connection created. SNS facilitate

interaction, both at that moment and in the future.’’ (N. Ellison, C. Lampe & C. Steinfield, 2009) Technological developments

Technology gives this trend more space to develop. To make sure a social network does not loose its members, they create new features to make it more interesting. In order to change something on a website, one needs a technical force. Another example is the development of products concerning this trend like the iPhone. One can download so-called ‘‘apps’’ for SNS which means one can use one’s iPod in stead of a computer to use SNS. This means that people are getting more mobile and have the possibility to go online wherever and whenever they want. (Quba digital marketing, Mobile marketing, 2010)

Graph 2: Use of social networking sites in last 12 months (eGovernment

Resource Centre, 2009)

2.2.3. SNS users

When looking at graph 2, it is clear that the main target group of SNS is young people, roughly between 14 and 29 years old. No significant difference between male or female users can be indicated. Graph 2 shows that the majority of the users are students. This includes students in

secondary education.

2.3 Possibilities of SNS

The users of SNS can be divided

into two groups: the members that use SNS for personal purposes and organizations that use SNS for marketing purposes. In the following two sections, these two groups will be explained. In section 3.3.1. the use of SNS by students will be explained and in 3.3.2. explanation will be given on how organizations use SNS for marketing purposes which is interesting for The Hague University and thus ES4.

2.3.1. Personal use

As indicated before, millions of people are members of SNS and the main users are students. Every student has a different reason for becoming a member of a social network. A common known reason and perhaps the most important one is to trace people they rarely see in person, for example family or friends living abroad. Another reason is to keep in touch with people they see regularly. Others use it to post blogs, photos or messages on someone else’s profile. (Studentpoll, Social networking sites and college-bound students, 2009) Graph 3 indicates the primary reasons students visit SNS.

An interesting outcome of this graph for this research is that 61 percent of the students uses SNS for academic purposes (i.e. to contact classmates and help with a homework assignment).

Graph 4: Use of social network sites in The Netherlands (Google Trends, 2010)

When looking at

the outcome of the survey conducted on 6 February 2010, prospective ES4 students

have pointed out they use SNS mainly for contacting and socializing with friends (78 percent). (Survey, 2010)

2.3.2. Marketing purposes

Not only are there many possibilities to use SNS for personal purposes but it is also used by organizations for marketing purposes. The main tool offered by almost all SNS for organizations to use is advertising. This section will be focusing on the SNS Facebook and Hyves because according to graph 4 these are the two SNS that are most popular in The Netherlands.

Facebook offers a system where one can set up an advertisement and select the target group one wants to reach. SNS members often put personal information on

their profile, for example age and interest fields. When advertising on Facebook or Hyves, one can easily narrow down the group of people one wants to reach with the advertisement (targeting), as can be seen in figure 2. (Facebook, Facebook Advertising, 2010)

Besides a strong advertisement, the location of the ad on

the website is important. Hyves offers the possibility to choose a place on the website where one wants to show

Figure 2: Targeting

(Facebook, Facebook Advertising, 2010)

Furthermore, an organization can create a campaign on SNS. There are a few possibilities, all provided by Hyves; for example to create an ‘‘action page’’ in which different activities take place such as gadgets, videos and games. When clicking on an advertisement, this action page will be opened where one can learn more about the organization in an interactive way.

A third possibility is to create a page on SNS. The goal of creating this page is to let one’s target group get familiar with one’s organization. The target group can become a member of the page to stay updated and tell others to join as well. This way, one’s own network can be created with people relevant to the organization. Another interesting possibility is

that one can find out what kind of people have visited the page, as shown in figure 4. By knowing this, one can adapt the advertisements or pages if the need occurs.

Costs

There are two commonly used ways of paying for advertisements. Often one can choose between CPC and

CPM. CPC means Costs Per Click and is the number of money the advertiser has to pay to the SNS webmaster every time someone clicks on the advertisement. CPM means Costs Per Mille and is the number of money an advertiser has to pay to the webmaster for every 1,000 times an advertisement is shown on the website. (Termen die gebruikt worden bij webadvertenties, n.d.)

Hyves is clear on what prices one has to pay depending on what kind of advertisement one needs and especially in which area of a website. In the case of the leader board shown in the image above, Hyves asks between six and eight Euros CPM. (Hyves, Adverteren op Hyves, 2010) However, Facebook offers the possibility to choose the maximumnumber of money one wants to pay for the

advertisement. One can choose between paying for clicks or paying per 1000 viewed advertisements (CPM). Facebook gives a suggestion of what other advertisers pay to reach the same target group. For the best result, Facebook advises to pay at least the minimal number that other organizations pay when using this SNS for marketing purposes. (Facebook, Facebook Advertising, 2010)

2.4 Competition

When looking at other colleges and universities in The Netherlands, especially the ones in the region of The Hague University, it can be said that there is not much competition regarding the use of SNS.

Figure 4: Profile visitors Facebook (Facebook Advertising, 2010) Figure 3: Leader board add (Hyves,

communication tool. However, there are colleges and universities that have created a page on SNS such as Hyves. A good example is Hogeschool Rotterdam; students from a particular study

(Communication & Multimediadesign) have created a webpage on Hyves for firstyear students. The goal of this page is to let these students get familiar with the study programme, the teachers and new peer students before the actual programme starts. One can find pictures, messages can be posted and questions can be asked to senior year students. Furthermore, this webpage contains videos that introduce the content of the study programme. This is interesting because according to ‘‘the Cone of Learning’’ made by Edgar Dale in 1969 shown in figure 5, people remember 50 percent of what they see and hear, for example videos. This means it will be better to inform students through short videos than with text on a website. (M. Molenda, 2003) As this could be seen as a good concept, it is remarkable to see that not many

people are using this webpage. This can be explained by the fact that this webpage is not regularly updated. (Hyves, Media

Introductie en introweek hyves Hogeschool Rotterdam, 2009)

2.5 Future

As SNS is a mega trend, it will not be difficult to predict the future of this tool because a mega trend lasts about ten to thirty years.

When looking at the current situation, it can be stated that the trend will expand further. This because of an increase in the number of members joining SNS and the fact that these networks are developing new features to make it more interesting and easier to use.

2.6 Conclusion

To conclude, SNS is a mega trend which means it will exist for at least ten more years. The largest group of SNS users are students from secondary education (14-17 years old) as well as students from colleges and universities, who are the most important target group in this research.

Not only can SNS be used for personal purposes but also for marketing purposes. Many possibilities relating marketing and communication management is offered to organizations by these websites, for example targeting: a way of reaching a specific target group. SNS is a two-way communication tool that creates possibilities for a more personal approach and to receive feedback from the target group.

Regarding the competition for The Hague University and ES4, most colleges and universities do have a webpage on SNS but research has shown that these pages are not updated regularly which means that the possibilities of this communication tool are not put into full use.

Chapter 3: ES4 drop-outs

3.1 Introduction

This chapter gives an overview of all facts and figures regarding the drop-outs of ES4. It contains information on how many students dropped out in 2008/2009 and their motivation. This chapter will answer the following sub questions:

 What is the percentage of drop-outs in 2008/2009?  What is their reason for dropping out?

It has to be taken into account that there are no specific data available concerning the motivation first year ES4 drop-outs had in 2008/2009 when deciding to end their studies. Because of this, most explanations given in this chapter are a collection of different sources. First of all Mr Brijer who conducts the exit-interviews with students who are considering ending their studies. Furthermore, information from De Startmonitor and Stakers- en switchersonderzoek will be used.

3.2 ES4 drop-outs

In the course year 2008/2009, 42 first year ES4 students ended their studies which is 19 percent of the total number of first year ES4 students during that year. Eight of these drop-outs have ended their studies during the course year and 33 students dropped out at the end of the course year. One person dropped out because of health problems. (C. Staats, 2010) Almost all drop-outs (33) ended their studies in the first year. This is because they feel that after the first (two) semester(s) they know exactly what is expected from them and the decision can be made whether to proceed or not. However, there are few students who drop out in their second, third or fourth year. This is mainly due to health problems or family issues. (R. Brijer, 2010) However, another possibility is the so-called

‘‘Staartstudent’’. A ‘’staartstudent’’ is a student that takes more than 4.5 years to finish the programme. There are cases where students take more than 10 years to graduate. Some of these students do not graduate at all. (J. Weitenberg, 2010) However, as most students drop out in the first year of the programme, this report will focus on this particular group.

Exit-interviews

Until 2009, students who were considering ending their studies were requested to do an exit-interview in which Mr Brijer advised the students and took the necessary measures. As of this course year (2009/2010), students are no longer obliged to verify with The Hague University that they are

dropping out. They only need to sign out through Studielink. This means that in the future there will no longer be any data of the reasons why students end their studies. (R. Brijer, 2010)

According to the outcome of the exit-interviews, the reasons for first year ES4 students to end their studies are diverse. In table 1 the most important reasons are given. In an order of quantity: the most common explanation given (1) and the less common explanation given (4). Unfortunately, there are no percentages or other data available in which one could see how many students would agree with the statements in the table below. (R. Brijer, 2010)

Reasons first year ES4 students end their studies according to exit-interviews

1. I have chosen the wrong study programme

2. I do not have the required proficiency in foreign languages 3. The policy of ES4 reminds me of high school

4. I am not satisfied about the administration of ES4

The majority of the first year ES4 drop-outs indicated that they chose the wrong study programme. Although they have been informed carefully with specific communication tools (further explained in chapter 2.3) they still had to experience the study programme in order to know if they made the right decision. For example, some first year ES4 drop-outs indicated that their expectations were not met. One of the reasons they chose ES4 was because of the exchange. They complained about not having had any of the international orientated courses yet. However, when informed correctly, it is a known fact that these courses take place after successfully fulfilling the first two years of the programme. (R. Brijer, 2010)

As shown in the table, another reason for ending their studies is because they lack the required language skills. ES4 provides students with proficiency in at least two modern foreign languages. (The Hague University, European Studies, 2010) It can be concluded that there are students who lack language growth and as it is a great part of the programme, they drop out.

The third reason is that the policy implemented by ES4 reminds students of high school. The most common given example is that students are obliged to attend certain classes. (R. Brijer, 2010) However, they had a different vision of the student life. They feel that as students they are mature enough to make their own decisions and do not need the school to take decisions for them. (R. Brijer, 2010) Nevertheless, the ES4 department will have its reasons to implement this policy. If every student would attend all classes, the ES4 department would probably not have introduced this policy.

Finally, the fourth reason given by first year ES4 drop-outs is the way everything is organized by ES4. An example these drop-outs gave during the exit-interviews was that they were not informed on time on important aspects such as a modification of the timetable. (R. Brijer, 2010)

The first reason shown in table 1 is the most common explanation given by first year ES4 students to drop out. As for the other three arguments, it is often a combination of the three that makes students want to end their studies. The decision to drop out is often made around the Christmas break as that is the time the students often discuss this at home and have time to consider their decision. (R. Brijer, 2010) However, according to the facts more than half of the students leave at the end of the year. This is because they feel the urge to proceed because making the decision to end their studies is very difficult. Another possibility is that they received a Negative Binding Study Advice (NBSA). (R. Brijer, 2010)

Stakers- en switchersonderzoek

According to the results of this research, collected in table 2, half of the ES4 drop-outs explained that the study was too broad. It is a well-known fact that ES4 is indeed a broad programme and 71 percent of the first year ES4 students has chosen this programme because of the various fields in this

programme. (De Startmonitor, 2009) Thus, it can be said that 51 percent of the drop-outs feels that the diversity of the programme is a disadvantage rather than an advantage and therefore has chosen the wrong programme.

Reasons ES4 students end their studies according to Stakers- en switchersonderzoek 51% The study programme is too broad

47% Portrayed situation does not correspond with actual situation 43% Not satisfied with administration

38% Teaching method not satisfactory

36% No clear overview of possibilities on professional level 34% Did not feel at home

32% Contacts with teachers not satisfactory

Almost half of the drop-outs said that the way ES4 was portrayed did not correspond with the actual situation. This means that they had a different perspective of the programme. Findings from De Startmonitor confirm this statement because 40 percent of the students that continued their studies at ES4 feel that the way the programme is portrayed does not correspond with the actual situation. Students say that the information given to prospective ES4 students about the programme is incorrect. (De Startmonitor, 2009) Thus, it can be said that the possible reason the ES4 drop-outs and current students had different expectations is that the information given to these students before they applied was incorrect.

Another important reason was the dissatisfaction of the administration of ES4. 43 percent of the drop-outs had negative experiences with the administration. Common given examples are that their grades were not available on OSIRIS or were incorrect, or that the timetable was not available on the portal two weeks before the new semester or exams began. (De Startmonitor, 2009) Graph 5 supports this statement. This graph shows the opinion of ES4 students who participated in the survey ‘‘De Reflector’’ about the administration of ES4, the academy of European Studies & Communication Management and The Hague University from 2006 till 2009. Their opinions are expressed in marks (1-10). When looking at their opinion about the administration of ES4, it can be seen that it is has decreased from a 6.4 till a 5.8.

Table 2: Reasons ES4 students end their studies according to Stakers- en switchersonderzoek (Stakers- en switchersonderzoek 2004/2005)

Furthermore, 38 percent is not satisfied about the teaching method implemented by ES4. The most important aspect in this case is collaboration. This can be explained by the fact that 43 percent of the ES4 students finds it difficult to work in groups. (De Startmonitor, 2009)

36 percent of the drop-outs said that they did not have a clear overview of the possibilities in terms of a profession and/or career after ES4. This means that these drop-outs do not know what kind of profession they can practice when they graduate from ES4. According to De Startmonitor, the main aspect that makes students hesitate to continue their studies at ES4 is that their expectations were not met. Without a clear perspective on one’s future possibilities, it is likely one looses interests in the programme and the chances of dropping out will increase. (Vertrekkers en switchers van de HHS/THR: wie, waarom en hoe uitval te voorkomen, 2005)

34 percent of the drop-outs did not feel at home in the department of European Studies. One of the indicated reasons was that they did not get along with their fellow students. Unfortunately, no specific reasons were indicated. (Stakers- en switchersonderzoek, 2005)

Finally, approximately one-third of the drop-outs indicates that they were not satisfied with the contact between teachers and students. Unfortunately, specific reasons as to why they were not satisfied are not given. Although, one person claims that with better guidance and contact with the teachers would have helped to reduce the chance of dropping out. (Stakers- en switchersonderzoek, 2005)

As can be seen from the percentages, the 47 drop-outs gave multiple reasons. This means that a combination of the reasons in table 2 was eventually convincing enough for these students to decide to end their studies.

Graph 5: Overall opinion of ES4 students about administration

(De Reflector, 2009)

The Hague University ES4

3.3 Conclusion

To conclude, the percentage of drop-outs in the first year of ES4 in 2008/2009 is 19 percent. The reasons and explanations given by the drop-outs are diverse. According to the exit-interviews, the main reason for students to drop out is because they feel they have chosen the wrong programme. According to the facts of Stakers- en switchersonderzoek the main reason is that one feels the programme is too broad. Considering the reasons above it can be concluded these students had a different perception of the programme. Thus their expectations were not met. There are two explanations for their misperception:

1. The students were not informed correctly about the programme. This can be caused by incomplete information and/or the use of different communication tools.

2. Students did not orientate well before applying for the study programme. The correct information is available through the correct channels however the students have not consulted it. According to Mr Brijer, most drop-outs have orientated themselves well and participated in multiple activities offered by The Hague University. These activities will be further discussed in chapter four. Overall, it can be concluded that the information is the main cause of the problem. Knowing this, the objective is to find out how SNS can be used to send the correct information to the target group in order to avoid

disappointments and therefore drop-outs.

Furthermore, it can be concluded that the problem of drop-outs starts during college consideration when prospective students develop an expectation and perception on the study programme. When the programme begins, they find out their perception was incorrect.

Chapter 4: Communication activities

4.1 Introduction

This chapter gives an overview of the communication tools used by ES4 to inform the target group: prospective ES4 students. It is based on the most common given reasons by drop-outs to end their studies namely incomplete information and/or the incorrect use of different communication tools. This chapter will describe the communication tools and explain the use of these tools by ES4 students. It must be emphasized that the marketing communication strategy is decided and implemented by The Hague University which means the academies within The Hague University do not have their separate strategies and tools.(K. Krepa, 2010)

4.2 Communication activities

First, The Hague University has a website which contains information on all study programmes that are offered. Like every other academy, ES4 has its own page on the website where one can find information on the content of the programme, but also about open days and blogs of students and teachers about their experiences. Furthermore, one can send emails to ES4 students who will answer all questions regarding the student life. (De Haagse Hogeschool, European studies (HEBO), 2010) Secondly, The Hague University organizes open days throughout the year where one can visit the department or programme one is interested in, meet the students and teachers and collect folders to take home. A communication tool of The Hague University that supports these open days is a new website where Hyves is integrated. This website, with a high interactive profile, allows visitors to see who will be visiting the open days and who is interested in the same study programmes. They can also communicate with each other through Hyves. Although it is a new tool, it can already be seen that many prospective students have discovered this website and use it how it is meant to be used.

Finally, The Hague University, and thus ES4, organizes trial courses. The goal of this tool is to let the student get acquainted with the university, the academy, the teachers and the students.

Besides the activities implemented by The Hague University for the department of European Studies and Communication Management, students of The Hague University and ES4 have created their own pages on SNS such as Hyves and Facebook. However, these pages are not updated regularly and are mostly used by outsiders for promotion purposes (i.e. parties, vacancies, etc.) Because of this, it can be said that the possibilities of SNS as a communication tool are not put into full use. European Studies has created a Facebook page but this page is meant for ES3, thus international students.

Besides communication activities for informing prospective ES4 students, The Hague University has tools to inform current ES4 students: Blackboard and the Portal. On Blackboard a student can find all information on the different courses offered in the study programme: Student guides, exams,

assignments, discussion board, etc. The Portal is used by The Hague University to inform students on timetables, administration and facilities. Students also have an email address with which they can contact teachers and students.

4.3 Use of communication activities by ES4 students

In this segment, the use of the communication tools by ES4 students will be explained. ES4 students will be divided into first year ES4 students and ES4 drop-outs. The tools that first year ES4 students used during college consideration are the tools they used when they were prospective ES4 students. The difference in usage between this group of students and the drop-outs could explain why students decided to continue their studies and others decided to end their studies at ES4.

4.3.1. Use by first year ES4 students

According to table 3, the most common used communication tool by first year ES4 students in 2009 (who were prospective students in 2008) was the website of The Hague University: 82 percent of these students used this tool to find information on the study programme. This means Internet was the most popular tool for these students to find information.

Use of communication tools by first year ES4 students in %

Website 82%

Open days 62%

Brochures 59%

Trial courses 32%

Second most popular tool is the open day (62%) and thirdly the brochures (59%). This can be

explained by the fact that leaflets and brochures are often handed out at the open days. Open days are the second most influential tool during college consideration. (Startmonitor, 2009)

A less popular tool is the trial course, approximately a third of the students participated in a trial course. Remarkable is that these trial courses are the most influential tool regarding college

consideration. (De Startmonitor, 2009) Unfortunately, there are no specific data as to why this tool is influential but not popular among these students.

In De Reflector, ES4 students were asked to give the administration and organization of ES4 a mark between 1 and 10. The average mark they gave was a 6.3 which means overall they were satisfied.

4.3.2. Use by ES4 drop-outs

According to Stakers- en switchersonderzoek, the open days are reasonably popular during college consideration: 66 percent of the ES4 drop-outs has visited an open day at The Hague University. (Stakers- en switchersonderzoek, 2004/2005)

The trial courses are not popular among prospective ES4 students: only nine percent of the drop-outs has participated in a trial course. (Stakers- en switchersonderzoek, 2004/2005) This is even less than first year ES4 students. Unfortunately, no specific data is available on the reasons why the use of this tool is only nine percent. As it is the most influential tool and much more first year ES4 students used it, it can be said that if more prospective students would use it, less first year students will drop out.

4.4 Conclusion

The Hague University has diverse communication activities. The activity with which the University can distinguish itself is the new interactive website which is linked to Hyves. On this website, the open day is promoted which is positive for two reasons:

1. As research showed, the open day is the second most influential tool regarding college consideration. (Startmonitor, 2009)

2. The communication tool that the majority of first year ES4 students (82%) used for college consideration was the website of The Hague University. (De Startmonitor, 2009)

Another important tool used by The Hague University is trial courses. Although it is the most

influential tool for prospective students during college consideration, it is not popular compared to the other tools. 32 percent of the students who continued their studies at ES4 participated in a trial course when only nine percent of the ES4 drop-outs have participated in a trial course. Therefore, it can be said that participating in a trial course can decrease the chance of dropping out because students will have a better understanding of the programme. Because of this, trial courses have to become more popular.

Finally, students from The Hague University have created pages on SNS such as Hyves and Facebook for students from their own particular study programme. Unfortunately, these pages are not put into full use as they are not updated regularly and mostly used by outsiders who want to promote their events or organizations. European Studies has created a Facebook page but this page is only meant for ES3 students.

This chapter is mainly based on the survey conducted at the open day at The Hague University on 6 February 2010 among prospective ES4 students. It will answer the following sub-questions:

 How many prospective ES4 students are active on social network sites?

 Which social network site could be most effective on reaching prospective ES4 students?  Do prospective ES4 students want to be informed through social network sites?

This chapter will give an overview of the use of SNS by prospective ES4 students and the use of SNS as a tool for college consideration according to an American research of 2009.

5.2 Use of SNS by prospective ES4 students

80 percent of the participants is between 17 and 20 years old. This is important to know because this is the specific target group one has to focus on. 96 percent uses SNS. The majority of this group uses this communication tool mainly for social purposes; to keep in touch with friends. 58 percent checks their profile every day. As shown in graph 6, the SNS where prospective ES4 students are most active on is Hyves, with a majority of 86 percent. Second most used site is Facebook which is used by 40 percent of the participants.

The fact that prospective ES4 students are most active on Hyves could be explained by the character of this SNS. Hyves is more national-orientated. Raymond Spanjar founded this website in 2004 in The Netherlands. According to magazine Quote, Hyves is the most successful website of The Netherlands. (Hyves, Hyves is succesvolste Nederlandse website, 2010) Nowadays, this website has 9.8 million (Dutch) users. (Hyves, Statistieken, 2010) Facebook on the contrary is more internationally-focused.

Graph 7: Student use of social networking site in college consideration (Studentpoll, 2009)

82 percent of the prospective ES4 students uses Internet to find information on a study programme. 36 percent gains information from family and/or friends. This means that not only Internet is a popular way to gain information, but also word-of-mouth publicity is an important aspect. When asked if they would like to be informed about a programme through SNS, almost all participants (92%) answered: ‘‘yes’’. Another interesting outcome of the survey is that 86 percent of the participants would like to become a member of SNS of a study programme they find interesting. This means that when ES4 would create a page on Hyves where information on the study programme can be collected, most prospective ES4 students would want to become a member of this page.

It can be concluded that the majority of the surveyed prospective ES4 students would like to be informed on the study programme through SNS.

5.3 American research: ‘’Social network sites and college-bound students’’

A research conducted in America about the use of SNS by prospective college students in 2009, has shown some findings that are interesting for this report. This research is based on a national survey among approximately 900 students that were applying to a college in the fall of 2009.

According to this research, around 20 percent of the students used SNS when searching for information on the college they were interested in. They especially looked for information that would help them to define the social situation on campus and college, as shown in graph 7. To gain this information, they looked

at profiles, photos and blogs of students already in college. (Studentpoll, Social networking sites and college-bound students, 2009)

Furthermore, the American researchers found out that a college or university has to be very careful when wanting to use SNS for marketing purposes. SNS are mainly used for social and personal interactions. Therefore, it could be seen as personal violation when ‘‘entering’’ this personal space. (Studentpoll, Social networking sites and college-bound students, 2009)

5.4 Conclusion

When gathering the most important findings in this chapter, it can be said that the majority of prospective ES4 students are between 17 and 20 years old. A large majority of the prospective ES4 students uses SNS and more than half even uses it daily. Hyves is the most popular SNS among this group. In the survey most prospective ES4 students declare to use Internet as a tool to gain information on a study programme of their interest. Almost all prospective ES4 students are open-minded about being reached by a study programme that interests them through SNS.

Important findings from an American research that have to be taken into account when giving recommendations are that when students use SNS for college consideration, they mainly look at the social aspects of studying. Furthermore, the American research argues to be careful with the use of SNS by universities as it can violate privacy. However, a large majority of the prospective ES4 students declared to be interested and open-minded about this.

Conclusion

As explained in chapter 1, this research is based on the following central question and sub-questions:  How can social network sites help to reduce the number of drop-outs in the first year of ES4?

 What are the possibilities of social network sites?  What is the percentage of drop-outs in 2008/2009?  What is their reason for dropping out?

 How many prospective ES4 students are active on social network sites?

 Which social network site could be most effective on reaching prospective ES4 students?

 Do prospective ES4 students want to be informed through social network sites? When having read the findings of the research stated in this report, the sub-questions can be answered as follows:

SNS is a mega trend which means it will keep on developing for at least ten years. According to this research SNS is a new tool for two way communication and has changed the way one communicates today. Therefore, it can be classified as a social trend. This tool can be used for different purposes; personal use (i.e. socializing) and marketing (i.e. online advertising). Students are the main users of SNS. This is an important finding as it corresponds with the target group of The Hague University and ES4. Furthermore, SNS is mainly a tool used to inform people, whether it is posting a picture on a profile (personal use) or create an online advertisement (marketing purposes).

The percentage of drop-outs in the first year of ES4 is 19 percent. The reasons and explanations given by these drop-outs are very diverse according to Mr Brijer. Other researches used for this report (De Startmonitor, Stakers- en switchersonderzoek, etc.) also indicate diverse reasons why the students have decided to end their studies at ES4. However, the most important reasons shown in chapter two are: The programme is too broad, the portrayed situation does not correspond with the actual situation, they have chosen the wrong programme and they did not have the required language skills. These reasons can all be seen as a result of two possibilities:

1. Students were not informed correctly on the study programme. 2. Students did not orientate well.

Nevertheless, the main problem is the information, whether it is the content or the way it is sent or received. Therefore, one of the objectives of this research is to find out how SNS can be used to make sure the correct information is available and the target group will find and use it.

Furthermore, it is important to know the communication activities of The Hague University and how the use of SNS is integrated. The Hague University uses various communication tools to promote The Hague University as well as its study programmes. The website is the most common used tool among prospective ES4 students. However, the most influential tool is the trial course. Unfortunately, this tool is not popular among ES4 drop-outs: only nine percent has participated in a trial course. 32 percent of the students who continued their studies at ES4 participated in a trial course. This could mean that participating in a trial course could result in a better understanding of the study programme. This creates another objective in this research: use SNS to make sure more prospective ES4 students will participate in trial courses.

Besides the website, open days and trial courses, a new communication tool is implemented: an interactive website linked to SNS. The open days are promoted on this website. This is a positive development as the open days have proven to be the second most influential tool during college consideration. In addition to the communication activities implemented by The Hague University, its students have created profiles on Hyves and Facebook. Nevertheless, these pages are not kept up to date and therefore not put into full use.

Finally, the use of SNS among prospective ES4 students is researched through a survey. The majority of this group is between 17 and 20 years old. 96 percent of the surveyed prospective ES4 students use SNS. In addition, 58 percent uses it daily. Hyves is the most popular website and will therefore be most effective on reaching prospective ES4 students. 92 percent of the prospective ES4 students are open-minded about being informed on a study programme through SNS. According to an American research it has to be taken into account that students, who use SNS as a tool to find information on a study programme and/or university, look at the social aspects of studying. Furthermore, one has to be careful when using SNS as a tool to reach students as it can be seen as violation of privacy.

To conclude, SNS can help to reduce the number of drop-outs in the first year of ES4. As it is a mega trend, it will be a long-term investment that is worthwhile for several reasons:

1. It is a tool with many possibilities to reach the target group. 2. It can help to stay connected with first year ES4 students. 3. Almost all prospective ES4 students use SNS.

Recommendations

Introduction

This chapter will give an answer to the central question of the research: ‘‘How can social networks sites help to reduce the number of first year ES4 students?’’ Based on the findings of the research in this report, recommendations will be given on how to use SNS to reduce the number of drop-outs. The following categories will be explained: Hyves projects, advertising on Hyves, workshops social media and research drop-outs. The main target group is prospective ES4 students.

In order to gain advantages from the current trends, it is advisable to keep track of them. Therefore, recommendations are made keeping the following reasons for dropping out in mind:

 The study programme is too broad  The wrong study programme is chosen  Lack of required language skills

 Portrayed situation does not correspond with the actual situation

Furthermore, the two most important objectives of this research will be taken into account:

1. To use SNS to make sure the correct information on the study programme is available and will be found and used by the target group.

2. To use SNS to make sure more prospective ES4 students will participate in trial courses.

Hyves projects

As SNS is a new communication trend, students will need to learn how to use this tool. Therefore, it is recommended to develop projects for ES4 students to create pages on Hyves as this is the most popular SNS. As can be seen in the example of the Hyves page of students from Hogeschool Rotterdam (chapter 3.4), the page needs to be updated in order to put it into full use. By giving the ES4 students ECTS at the end of these Hyves projects, they will be more stimulated in making the pages efficient and keep it up to date. There are two different Hyves projects recommended: creating a page for prospective ES4 students and a page for first year ES4 students.

Hyves project for prospective ES4 students

During this project ES4 students are going to research how prospective ES4 students want to be reached and informed through Hyves. The ES4 students will be divided into groups and each group

will have to develop a page on Hyves. The best page will be used. To make sure the webpage will be kept up-to-date, every year a group of students will need to work on this webpage.

There are many possibilities for ES4 students to inform and reach prospective ES4 students. The following examples should be at least considered to put on the Hyves page:

 Short videos on the programme created by ES4 students as prospective ES4 students will remember more of the videos than of text according to ‘‘the Cone of Experience’’ developed by Edgar Dale.

 Create polls to find out the meaning of prospective ES4 students on whatever subject is important at that time.

 Messages can be posted by prospective students as well as the ES4 students. The prospective students can ask questions to ES4 students and there is also a possibility to exchange books.  Pictures are also an important part of the webpage. By adding pictures of for example last

year’s introduction week the prospective ES4 students will get a better idea of what they can expect.

 Subscribing for open days and trial courses. As mentioned before, open days and trial courses are very important when it comes to the influence of this tool during college consideration. However, especially trial courses are not very popular. As there are no findings why this tool is not popular, ES4 should consider to at least making it more accessible. This can be achieved by creating the possibility for prospective students to not only sign in through the website of The Hague University but also through Hyves.

Hyves project for first year ES4 students

The objective of this project is to create a Hyves page where ES4 students can find information on the programme and create a more social environment not only at the university but also on the Internet. This page will be made by ES4 students themselves. By allowing these students to create their own page, they automatically will use the information they need. Examples are that they can put links to the most important websites (blackboard, portal, website of The Hague University, DUO – IB-groep, etc.) or a list of names and data of important people of the ES department (coordinators, student counsellors, etc.) Another possibility is to link this Hyves page to the ES3 Facebook page. By letting ES4 students use this page and communicate with international students, the international aspects of ES4 can begin in an earlier stage of the programme.

information is available on Internet, the tool they use most for college consideration. To make sure prospective ES4 students will find the page on Hyves, it is recommended to promote it through advertisements on Hyves. As almost all surveyed prospective ES4 students have declared to use this particular SNS, a large part of this group will be reached once they will notice the advertisement on their Hyves profile. When someone from this target group clicks on the ad, the Hyves page for prospective ES4 students will open. Furthermore, The Hague University already has a new website which is linked to Hyves and therefore it is advisable to promote this website through an

advertisement on Hyves to keep the connection. It is also highly recommended to promote trial courses via advertisements on Hyves. By letting the target group know this tool is available and easy to access, it can result in more prospective students participating in trial courses.

As explained in chapter three, there are many ways to advertise on Hyves: one can determine where on the website the ad must be seen, but also to what specific target group (targeting) and how the ad must look like. All this information and more (i.e. costs) can be found on the following link:

http://adverterenophyves.hyves.nl/adverteren

Workshops social media

To be able to teach students how to use SNS efficiently, The Hague University can organize

workshops in social media. Social Media Workshops is ‘‘an initiative taken by four organizations with experiences in communication, internet strategies and social media’’ and can be found on the

following website: http://www.socialmediaworkshops.nl/home/. They give workshops to different groups in society on the use of social media, the pro’s and con’s, the threats and opportunities. A general workshop is about how one can use social media more efficiently. This workshop costs €145 excl BTW, including a light meal and beverages.

Research drop-outs

The exit-interviews with Mr Brijer are no longer obligatory for students who want to end their studies at ES4. This means that in the future, the ES4 department can no longer collect data as to why these students drop out. It is important for all universities and academies to know why their students drop out to seek a solution to this problem. As can be seen by the outcomes of the researches used for this report, the reasons students drop out can differ every year. Because of this, it is recommended to do research at least every five years to find out the reasons why students drop out. When the ES department finds out students dropped out and have signed out through Studielink, it is possible to send them a survey in which questions could be asked on their reason for leaving the programme. What is also interesting to research is the thoroughness of the information send to prospective ES4 students. First year ES4 students indicated that the information sent to prospective students is not